“Passengers of a river cruise boat in New Orleans had to be pulled from the Mississippi river on Friday, after a tanker collided with the paddlewheeler as it sat in dock, causing it to capsize. Those aboard desperately gripped the railings of the American Heritage as it started taking on water and tipping over, sparking”, — write on: www.cnn.com
Passengers of a river cruise boat in New Orleans had to be pulled from the Mississippi river on Friday, after a tanker collided with the paddlewheeler as it sat in dock, causing it to capsize.
Those aboard desperately gripped the railings of the American Heritage as it started taking on water and tipping over, sparking a major emergency response.
In what Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry hailed as a “miracle on the Mississippi,” all 197 passengers made it to safety.
Mayor Helena Moreno said Friday that 32 people were taken to hospital with non-critical injuries, while others were treated at the scene for “bumps and bruises.”
The tanker, the Atlantic Asphalt, appeared to have “lost control,” according to US Coast Guard Captain Melanie Burnham, who added that the “exact reason why” it may have lost steering capabilities remained unknown.
Investigators are now trying to piece together exactly what happened.
In dramatic video from the scene, a distinct metallic screech can be heard as the vessels collide. At least a dozen people wearing life vests can later be seen being pulled from the water, while other passengers clamber over the railings of the boat, lying on its side in the Mississippi.
“There was a lot of old people… screaming ‘Help, help,’” said truck driver Blas Armas, who recorded on his phone as panicked passengers tried to swim from the stricken boat.
“The most terrifying thing was an old lady (who had) only her head out of the water,” Armas told CNN late Friday. “She was wearing a vest, but it wasn’t around her neck,” he said, adding that she was trying to swim with one hand as she clung to what looked like a piece of floating furniture. The woman was eventually pulled to safety.
He also recalled seeing an elderly man bleeding from his forehead. “People were scared,” he said.
Moreno, the mayor, said passengers began disembarking after the cruise ship was first hit, but it then began to sink and eventually “toppled over and flipped.”
New Orleans firefighters immediately responded to the collision and used ladders over the dock to try to rescue people, Moreno said. Other ships on the Mississippi River also responded to help get people out of the water, she added.
American Cruise Lines, the owner of the riverboat American Heritage, confirmed its boat was involved in the incident and said it worked with local authorities to evacuate everyone from the vessel. CNN is working to determine who owns the tanker.
The American Heritage was built in 2015 and has capacity for 150 guests, according to the operator. The cruise line, which offers river cruises across the US, hosts several cruises that port in New Orleans.
The person driving the tanker was a river pilot, said Burnham, the Coast Guard captain.
Some passengers abandoned personal items on the sinking ship, Moreno said, and are now staying at local hotels. The city is working with partners, including the American Red Cross, to ensure all passengers have access to accommodation, transportation and necessary prescription medications.
Two harbor police officers that had been hospitalized were released Friday evening, the Port of New Orleans said in an update.
Landry, the governor, praised all of the agencies involved, saying their constant partnership prepared them for this type of situation.
“It is a literal miracle on the Mississippi,” he said. “When you think about the population that was on that cruise ship, and the ability for us to get them off, get them out of the water.”
“The Mississippi River is not some quiet pond, right? I mean, there were challenges out there,” he added.
President Donald Trump, who offered the state support, also praised first responders, saying in a social media post, “All of Law Enforcement and First Responders were fantastic!”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that “by the grace of God, we have not lost one soul” during the collision and subsequent rescue.